Elite beginnings for Phuket ( Phuket Local News )
Thailand Elite recently held its 'Thailand Elite Investment Networking Dinner' at Le Meridien Phuket. The exclusive invitation-only event, the first of its kind by the organisation on Phuket received an overwhelming response in terms of attendance. The entire gamut of foreign investment on the island, from hoteliers to developers, international hospitals to financial consultants and media were on hand, as representatives of the local and national governments with officials from the Stock Exchange of Thailand and the Board of Investment along with members of the Thailand Elite Board of Directors combined to unveil the Thailand Elite programme and its goals to the business community of Phuket.A Thai government programme, Thailand Elite was established with a view to facilitating foreign investment in the country. Members of the programme are entitled to several key priviledges such as a five year visa and fast-tracked immigration at the airports. In addition to this, members are also receive recreational and entertainment benefits.In a highly informative speech which was nevertheless peppered with enough light-hearted humour to also be engagingly entertaining, Khun Thanonsak, member of the Board of Directors of the programme shed light on the ideas behind the conception of Thailand Elite and the benefits of the programme to both investors and the government of Thailand. Khun Thanonsak explained that by making investment easier and more attractive by providing extraordinary benefits to the members of this growing, yet exclusive club, the programme hopes to facilitate investment in various arenas of business. With complimentary access to high-end services like spas, restaurants hotels, marinas and golf courses, the government hopes to promote these key areas of development. By encouraging investment, explained Khun Thanonsak, the programme seeks to maximise the obvious benefits for the country, foreign exchange, the creation of a plethora of jobs for the locals, the promotion of Thailand as a tourism destination among the friends and business associates of the members and of course, taxes. The opportunities for Phuket, he emphasized, are many. The island, for its obvious beauty and charm is a natural magnet for investors. With the government having dropped taxes on yachts and other marine services substantially, the yachting industry on the island has taken off, and is one of the areas where Phuket can look to building even more success. Khun Thanonsak also singled out golf courses as a major tourism/investment advantage for the island. With the number of permitted golf courses in China reaching saturation point as the country chooses to devote land to agricultural purposes, more and more tourists from mainland China will seek world class golfing facilities in other parts of the Asian region, and Phuket will have an opportunity to tap into this immense market, he predicted.Micahel Loh, Chairman of the Dragon Group, member of the Thailand Elite programme and significant investor on the island summed up the evening's proceedings with positive forecasts for the business and investment allure of Phuket, and expressed confidence that the Thailand Elite programme would contribute to a healthy growth of the island's economy.
